


The Webs We Weave

by SilverLining2k6



Category: Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Mutual Pining, VMTAP20
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:34:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25061689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverLining2k6/pseuds/SilverLining2k6
Summary: The things Logan does for love.Mid S2 Canon-divergence
Relationships: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Comments: 94
Kudos: 138





	1. Chapter 1: Logan

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, another fic. I know, I suck. I'm just really committed to my Mutual Pining trope for Trope-a-Palooza.
> 
> This fic was nearly complete back in summer 2018, if not for one scene towards the end, which has been a thorn in my side ever since. Planning on 5 short chapters.

###  **Logan - Neptune High**

Twenty minutes before homeroom, and the hallways of Neptune High are teeming with activity. 

Students cross, left and right. From lockers to restrooms to classrooms. Three PCHers posture around the trophy case. A handful of giggling freshmen girls peer down at a wrinkled piece of paper. Somewhere nearby, somebody dribbles a basketball.

Logan rarely gets here this early. He’s lucky if he makes it on time at all. But he’s on a mission this morning. It’s critical he finds her before…

“Logan!” Dick Casablancas shoulder-bumps him from behind, propelling him into motion. “My man! You missed it last night. After you left—”

“No time, dude. Have you seen Veronica?” 

Her beater LeBaron is out in the parking lot, and the first bell won’t ring for another fifteen minutes. She has to be here somewhere.

“Veronica Mars?” Dick shoves a handful of Cheetos in his mouth. “Check with the Swim Team. I think it’s their turn this month.” 

Logan halts, shoves a finger in Dick’s face. “Did you learn noth—”

“Fine!” Dick lifts two orange-powder stained hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. Veronica’s virtue is matched only by her sunny personality.” 

_Laying it on a bit thick there, dude?_

Logan snorts, and cranes his head, scanning the hallway for his favorite tiny pest. 

_There she is._

She’s moving away from him in that confident, bouncy gait of hers, oblivious to the bent heads and whispers as she passes. 

He breaks into a jog. “Veronica! Wait up.”

She glances warily over her shoulder, sighs, and waits for him to catch up. “What do you want, Logan?”

“I have to tell you something...” he begins, trailing off as they approach her locker, where the word ‘WHORE’ is scrawled in black permanent marker across the yellow paint. 

Veronica’s shoulders twitch, as if bracing for war, but her placid expression never wavers. “Oh look. Madison’s graduated to 5-letter slurs.”

_Fuck. This is my fault._

He can fix things later. Right now they need to talk. 

Logan hooks a hand around Veronica’s arm and leans close, whispers, “Duncan’s on the rampage, and he’s heading this way.”

Veronica sighs heavily and crosses her arms over her chest. “On a rampage about what?” 

“You and me.” He exhales, focuses on a glittery pink and yellow fundraising poster. “He knows everything.” 

Veronica stares at him, her gaze sharpening, while her scary brain makes calculations.

 _Jesus._ Just how many damn things is she hiding from her boyfriend?

Logan stares back. _Come on, Veronica. You’ve never had a problem reading my mind before._

Her eyes grow wide and her mouth forms an ‘O’ shape. 

_Now you get it._

“Right. So anyway, we need to discuss—”

“Logan!” The shout comes from somewhere behind him.

“Shit!” Logan braces himself. _Out of time._

Fingers curl roughly around his shoulder, spinning him around. 

It’s Duncan, naturally, his face beet red, and his chin thrust forward, aggressively.

“What the fuck, man?” Logan lifts both hands, playing dumb. “Watch the sweater.”

Duncan shoves him in the chest, and Logan just misses colliding into Veronica, before his head thumps against a locker. 

“What are you doing?” Veronica’s voice is shrill.

Duncan ignores her, gets right up in Logan’s face. “Your _friend_ , Kendall called this morning. She told me everything.”

“It wasn’t the story about the beauty pageant, was it?” Logan rubs the back of his head, although it’s way too soon for any lumps to form. “Because I’ve heard what she calls singing, and trust me, she should’ve chosen a different talent.” 

They’re drawing a crowd. Friends and strangers, alike. Dick is here, of course, but also Luke and Sean. Madison and Shelly. Gia Goodman. 

Many of the onlookers hold up cell phones. All share that same spark of glee in their eyes. 

_Two kings of Neptune High fighting over a girl. What could be more entertaining?_

“Kendall says she stopped by the penthouse the other day, for a booty call, but she had to leave unsatisfied.”

“Well, that right there proves she’s lying. Unlike the other guy in the suite, I have _never_ left a woman unsatisfied.” 

Duncan’s lips twist into a snarl and his fist draws back. 

Dick lays a hand on his shoulder, speaks quietly, “Dude. Not at school.”

The fist drops, but the animosity on Duncan’s face remains. “That’s not what she said. Seems, you were a little too preoccupied at the time. On top of MY girlfriend, on MY couch, with your tongue in her mouth.” 

_And there it is. No turning back now._

“I’m sorry, man.” Logan wipes all traces of sarcasm from his face and reaches out a placating hand. “It was just a stupid kiss. We never meant for it to happen.” 

Duncan recoils from his touch. “How long?”

“I don’t know. Three or four minutes? Maybe five?”

Duncan shakes his head, exasperated. “I meant, how long has this been going on between you two?”

Veronica starts to speak. “Just the—”

“Don’t try to deny it, Veronica.” Madison interrupts. “You two have been sneaking around for months and we’ve all seen it with our own eyes.” She gestures to her 09er friends. “Guess you’re not as smart as you think you are.” 

Veronica raises both eyebrows, glances a question at Logan. He responds with a fraction of a nod. 

_Don’t bother with denial. They’ve been comparing notes since last night._

“Listen, Duncan, nothing actually happened. I swear it on my life. It was only a few stolen kisses.” Logan scrubs a guilty hand over his face. “It’s just…sometimes, when I’ve had a few drinks, I forget she isn’t mine, anymore.”

Veronica reaches out a hand. “Duncan, let me exp—”

He cuts her off. “SHUT UP, BITCH!”

Veronica flinches back, unprepared for this level of vitriol. 

Logan steps right up into Duncan’s face. “Don’t you _ever_ speak to her that way again.”

“She’s MY girlfriend.” Duncan’s nostrils flare and a vein twitches in his forehead. “I’ll speak to her however I choose.”

“ _Ex-_ girlfriend.” Veronica moves to Logan’s left side, eyes dangerous. 

Around them, the crowd erupts in a chorus of _Ohhhh's_.

“You know,” Veronica examines her fingernails, drawing out the moment. She lifts her gaze to Duncan. “I’ve been planning on ending things with you for weeks, now. Silly me, I thought I would find a way to break it to you gently. But after that? It’s just over.” 

Duncan’s only reaction is a dismissive shrug. He can’t even look at her. “Congratulations, Logan. This was your plan all along, right? Just waiting around for your chance to steal my girl?”

“It wasn’t like that, man. Not at all.”

“I took you in when you had nothing! Gave you a home. And this is how you thank me? By screwing around with my girlfriend?”

Logan’s throat fills with sour bile. _Way to distort the facts, Donut._

“Remind me again why I had nothing?” He pokes a finger at Duncan’s chest. “My entire world was falling apart. No parents, no family, framed for murder, and my best friend of twelve years was nowhere to be found.”

Duncan rolls his eyes with a weary sigh. “We’ve already hashed this out. You know why I stayed away. Your dad killed my sister.” 

“Yeah, he did.” Logan pauses for a beat, before continuing. “And if _your_ dad hadn’t obstructed justice, if _your_ dad had just allowed the sheriff to do his fucking _job_ , my mother would still be alive. Does that even the score?”

Several loud gasps erupt around them. Even Duncan reacts as if he’d been gut punched.

Logan pokes him in the chest again. “But it wasn’t enough for you to just abandon me when I needed you most. You had to take Veronica with you.”

“It wasn’t—” Duncan begins.

“She was EVERYTHING to me! The only thing in the world that still mattered. But you didn’t give a fuck whether I lived or died.” Logan laughs, ugly and bitter. “Every morning was a struggle for me just to get out of bed. And there you were, hanging around the coffee house, day after day. Helping her clear tables and reminding her that you were perfect, and I was the same fuckup I’d always been.”

Veronica’s right arm presses firmly against his left, and Logan turns to look at her. “How was I supposed to compete with that? I was barely even functional at the time.” 

Her eyes fill with compassion, and her lower lip drops, as if she wants to answer his question but doesn’t know where to begin. 

Several seconds pass in silence, before Duncan speaks. “Well, you got one thing right. You _are_ a complete fuckup.”

“Duncan! Stop it!” Veronica wraps a protective arm around Logan’s waist. 

“Why him?” Duncan turns on her. “Of all people, why did it have to be Logan? What does he have that I don’t?”

From the angle of her jaw, Logan can tell she’s holding on by a string. “Dude, you shouldn’t—”

She speaks over him. “Are you sure you really want to know?”

“Yeah!” Duncan throws up both arms. “Hit me with it.”

“Alright. Logan is everything you’re not.” Veronica counts off on her fingers. “He’s warm, funny, affectionate. I’ve never had to doubt whether he was really into me. He’s passionate. Alive. Exciting. He’s attentive. He’s never acted like spending time with me was a chore. And he actually talks to me instead of evading all my questions.” 

A jolt of emotion runs through Logan. Since when has Veronica seen _anything_ positive in him - other than his kissing technique?

Duncan makes a dismissive _click_ with his teeth. “Yeah, Logan’s a real saint.”

“You never had any time for me,” Veronica continues. “You spent every waking minute at Meg’s bedside, but whenever I asked about her, you either bit my head off or froze me out. It took me way too long to realize you were no big loss.”

_Jesus. How long has she been saving this all up?_

The finality of the situation seems to hit Duncan all at once and his eyes become glossy with unshed tears. “So, I sucked as a boyfriend. You had to pay me back by fucking around with my best friend, of all people?”

“This wasn’t about payback, Duncan.” Veronica’s voice softens, and now she’s crying too. She entwines her fingers with Logan’s and looks up at him with wet, shiny eyes. “It’s about love. We’re in love with each other. We tried to fight it, but it won’t go away.” 

Everything goes silent. Duncan. Veronica. The crowd of onlookers. Conversation halts, lockers stop slamming. Even the guy with the basketball ceases dribbling. 

Logan’s heart throbs in his throat. 

_Don’t fall for it, Logan. She doesn’t mean it. She’s only saying it for Duncan’s sake._

Long past the point of it being unbearable, Duncan sighs. “Yeah. Well I guess you both deserve each other.” He wipes his eyes one last time and walks away with the parting shot, “Have a great fucking life.” 

The crowd surges in, everybody talking at once. The 09er girls, no great romantics, whisper and sneer. 

“Madison.” Logan points to Veronica’s locker. “Clean that shit off.”

She gasps, offended and outraged. “If you care so much, you clean it off yourself. You’re the one who turned her into a slut.” 

Her friends titter and stare them down. 

“Dick.” Logan waves him forward. “If Veronica’s locker isn’t spotless by the end of the day, I want Madison’s name stricken from the invite list for our party next Friday. In fact, strike her name from _every_ party.”

Madison shrieks. “You can’t do that!”

“Watch me.” Logan raises his voice to get everyone’s attention. “Remember last year’s rules? Well, they still apply. You fuck with Veronica, you’re fucking with me.”

This time, nobody says a word. 

“C’mon,” he whispers, tugging on Veronica’s hand. 

She trails behind him, too shell-shocked for words. 

“I’m sorry,” Logan says, and his vision begins to blur. “I am _so so_ sorry. I’ve been trying to warn you since last night, but you sent all my calls to voicemail.”

“Did you consider texting?”

“You know why I didn’t.”

“Yeah. I know,” Veronica answers softly. She’s silent for a moment, then laughs in a way that sends chills down his spine. 

“We obviously need to talk,” he says.

“I know.”

“Let’s skip class and go somewhere.”

“No.” Her voice is firm. Non-negotiable. “We have to go to all of our classes today. I can handle the gossip if you can.”

“Fine.” He sighs. “So, lunchtime?”

“Can’t. Have to finish a project for journalism.” She stops outside the door of her homeroom. “Meet me at my locker after school, okay?”

“That’s a million hours away.” 

They really need to have this conversation immediately. 

She squeezes his hand in reassurance. “It’ll be okay until then. You’ll be there?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there.” He looks at the ground and back up again. Suddenly nervous. 

Judging by her furrowed brow, she seems to feel the same way. She glances up and down the hall, clocking a handful of students, still gawking at them. 

_Nosy bastards._

She exhales, as if to work up her resolve, then grabs Logan’s shirt with both hands and smashes her mouth against his. 

A whoosh of excitement rushes through him and his body floods with warmth. He pulls her closer, hand moving to cradle the back of her head. His heart pounds and the feel of her silky hair against his palm takes him all the way back to the beginning. 

Veronica’s phone buzzes. She pulls away from him, retrieves it from her jacket pocket and checks the display. “It’s a text from Duncan.”

“What does it say?” He leans over to get a look at her screen. 

“You and Logan are absolutely…” Her mouth spreads into a wide grin as she meets his eyes. “…brilliant!” 


	2. Chapter 2 - Logan

## One Day Earlier

###  **Logan - Neptune Grand Hotel**

The back of Logan’s neck tingles, alerting him that he’s being watched.

This isn’t unusual. Between Aaron’s crazy fans, his own groupies, tabloid reporters, searching for dirt, serious journalists following the Toombs case, disapproving hotel staff, an angry husband or two, and even angrier PCHers, the real question is: when _isn’t_ he being watched?

_Ding._

The upward arrow lights up, the elevator doors open, and Logan steps inside, knuckling the button for the penthouse.

As the doors begin to close, somebody shoves them back open, pushing their way inside.

_Or…none of the above._

_Just Veronica Mars._

He’s getting rusty. With that aura of malevolence, she should’ve been his first guess.

Veronica crosses her arms, expression pinched and annoyed.

_The nerve of me for occupying the elevator she barged into? How could I be so inconsiderate?_

“Hi, ho,” he says.

She turns her head. “What did you say?”

“Oh, your uniform.” He plays innocent. “Heigh ho. It’s off to work you go.”

“I guess that makes me Snow White.”

Probably. Her _one-too-many-poison-apples_ smile would back up that claim.

“You must be on your way up to see Mopey.”

“How’s he doing, Sleazy?”

_Careful, Veronica._

He has it on good authority that other than Fennel, her favorite people are sleazebags. His lawyer, for example.

“Wouldn’t know. He doesn’t come out of his room.” _Other than, when he’s getting drunk and weirdly clingy._ “Old Italian ladies don’t grieve like this.”

Yeah. He’s petty. But what is he supposed to do? Be nice? Sympathize because her perfect boyfriend knocked up the pretty princess?

Fat fucking chance. He’s glad there’s trouble in paradise. It’s not like she would buy his concern, anyway.

“Boy, he must’ve really loved Meg.”

Because...what’s the point of knives if you can’t give ‘em a good _twist_ now and then?

“Well, then there’s that other thing. You know, he can’t see his baby.” She says it like it’s an actual comeback. As if it dilutes Duncan’s feelings for Meg.

_Trust me, Veronica. It doesn’t._

“A baby? How’d that happen?”

Veronica’s mouth forms a tight smile. Suppressed anger.

_**Point: Logan** _

But a hint of uneasiness tickles his consciousness.

What the hell does she have to be so angry about, anyway? It’s not like Duncan cheated on her. She was still panting and moaning in Logan’s back seat when that baby was conceived.

Which basically just confirms that she never gave a shit about him at all. He was just Duncan’s bench warmer.

_**~~Point: Logan~~** _

_**Point: Veronica** _

The floor indicator climbs steadily upward - six…seven…eight…eight…still eight…eight and a half…

What the hell is going on?

The elevator lurches to a stop, jostling them both.

Veronica’s hand flies up to her chest. “Tell me that wasn’t what I think it was.”

“Um…okay. We’re not trapped in an elevator. It’s actually just _Floor Eight - The Remix_.”

“This can _not_ be happening.” There’s a tinge of panic in her voice. She stabs buttons on the panel. **PH, OPEN DOOR, CLOSE DOOR**. She tries the button for the ninth floor.

Nothing happens.

Sighing, she pushes the **CALL** button. “Hello? We’re trapped in the elevator.”

Pete, from security responds over the intercom. He asks which elevator they’re in, where it stalled, and the number of occupants.

“Okay, folks,” he says, “Try to stay calm, and I’ll get a technician out here as soon as possible.”

“Stay calm?” Veronica mutters, "Not likely.” She stands rigid and ashen-faced.

Shit, she’s actually afraid.

Who can blame her, honestly, after his dad locked her in a freezer and tried to burn her alive?

Logan places his hand on her shoulder. “Veronica. Why don’t you sit down?”

She looks at him as if he’s crazy.

“You look like you’re about to have a panic attack.”

She curls her lip. “So, you think sitting on a dirty floor would help?”

Logan slides off his jacket and offers it to her. “You want to sit on this? I have this thing called Laundry Service. It magically gets all the dirt out.”

Veronica gives him a dubious look. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine.”

He shrugs and takes a seat in the corner, stretching his legs out long.

After a moment, Veronica sets her monster-sized handbag against the wall, then shrugs out of her tiny zip-up sweater, and drapes it carefully over the purse.

If only he’d brought his backpack in from the truck, then he’d have some form of entertainment besides watching Veronica pace the tiny enclosure and check her watch thirty-four times.

Make that thirty-five.

“Wow, you must really be jonesin’ for a White Mocha,” he says, in some misguided attempt to cheer her up.

“Not really, but that reminds me.” Pulling her Sidekick from her pants pocket, she dials a number and lifts it to her ear. “Hey, Lisa,” she begins, in a conciliatory tone, “This is Veronica, and I have some bad news.”

A phone buzzes and Logan presses his hand to his pocket.

Not his.

Veronica, still listening to the other side of the conversation, doesn’t seem to notice. “No, I’m not sick. Would you believe that I’m at the Neptune Grand, stuck between floors in the elevator?”

_Bzzz._

There it is again, along with a suspicious glow coming from Veronica’s sweater.

Why the hell would she have a second phone? And who’s texting her on it?

Logan waits until she paces the other direction, stepping easily over his outstretched foot, and then reaches out an arm and carefully plucks the second phone from her sweater pocket.

“No, I only stopped by the Grand to change into my work uniform. I left it up in my boyfriend’s suite this morning.”

Funny, if her uniform is up in the suite, then what is that she’s wearing?

_Why the lie, Veronica?_

Logan bends his knees and uses his jacket like a blanket to cover them. It’s not much, but enough to shield the burner phone in his lap from Veronica’s nosy gaze.

He pushes the power button, and the display lights up:

 **2 TEXTS FROM BORIS**.

_Who the fuck is Boris?_

He flips the phone open.

**BORIS: WRU?**

**BORIS: I saw u 2 get on elevator but Kendall says u never arrived.**

Logan rolls his eyes. He’d recognize that texting style anywhere. Boris is clearly Duncan, but why would he send his girlfriend up to meet with his side piece?

“You can call Neptune Grand security if you want to confirm my story,” Veronica is telling her boss.

He’s not likely to get any answers out of her - even if she wasn’t on the phone. If he wants to get to the bottom of this, he’s going to have to figure it out for himself.

He texts Duncan back.

**NATASHA: Trapped between floors waiting for a tech to show up and get us out.**

Natasha?

 _Ahhh. Boris and Natasha_.

About time she embraced her evil villainess side.

The phone buzzes.

**BORIS: #$#^$%$$% This is a disaster. Have 2 run that errand but will offer Kendall more $$$ 2 stick around. Try not 2 kill my BFF in meantime.**

_The plot thickens._

What the hell are these two up to?

Veronica smiles into her phone. “I know you’re not a micro-manager, Lisa. I would just feel better knowing that _you_ know I’m not just trying to play hooky.”

Logan types out half of a response, then erases it. Types another one, in Veronica’s voice.

**NATASHA: Will try, but he’s being extra jackassy today.**

**BORIS: Try 2 use this unexpected time 2gether 2 bond. After 2morrow hes all u have left.**

_What the literal fuck? What’s happening tomorrow?_

**NATASHA: I’ll think about it. No promises.**

With a glance at Veronica - still distracted - Logan scrolls through texts from earlier this afternoon.

**BORIS: kendall is n place. naked and waiting 4 the go ahead.**

**NATASHA: I am both relieved and nauseated by that statement.**

**BORIS: relax babe. At least Im not n the suite with her**

**NATASHA: No, I can see you perfectly in the hotel lobby. Could you have chosen something less conspicuous than a fishing hat and scarf? Did you cut eye holes in that newspaper?**

**BORIS: laugh it up but i promise u logans not going 2 pay any attention 2 people in lobby**

**NATASHA: Want to bet? He’s like a heat-seeking missile for tits and ass.**

**BORIS: well its a good thing i have neither**

**BORIS: talked 2 logan on his way home 10 mins**

_Wow. Just wow._

Nail one Laker Girl, and people act like you’ll fuck anything with a pulse. So patently untrue.

The timestamp jumps forward fifteen minutes on the next message.

**BORIS: the eagle has landed the eagle has landed. logans here**

**NATASHA: 10-4.**

_Oh, hell no!_

If Logan was experiencing even a _sliver_ of guilt for invading their privacy before - and let’s face it, if Veronica can deal it out, she should be able to take it - he sure as hell doesn’t now.

Kendall was never their mark or dupe. _I am._

So, what was the plan?

Veronica lays in wait to ride up in the elevator with him. She follows him to the suite where Kendall waits naked in his bed? And then what?

It all seems kind of…pointless. They’re going to a lot of trouble and expense to get him into bed with somebody he’s already fucked. Repeatedly.

And why would Veronica need to be there? She doesn’t seem to have her camera on her, and even if she did intend to take money shots, why would Kendall, their own accomplice, consent to being photographed committing statutory rape?

No, none of this makes sense. At all.

He could see Veronica staging a confrontation, but even if she _is_ jealous of his ‘relationship’ with Kendall - and make no mistake, she _absolutely_ is - she would die before admitting it.

Now, if she were to find Kendall naked in _Duncan’s_ bed…

_Wait a second._

What would be the outcome of her finding Kendall in Duncan’s bed? A confrontation? But he’s in on the plan. She knows he’s innocent. So that would make it a _staged_ confrontation. A fake breakup?

It still doesn’t justify the time and expense, but Logan’s instincts tell him he’s on the right track.

Veronica is off the phone now. She leans back against the wall, eyes focused on the ceiling.

“You okay?” Logan asks.

“Yeah. My boss is nothing if not understanding.”

With an exhausted exhale, she slides down the wall to the floor, subconsciously mirroring Logan’s pose.

She grabs her sweater and Logan holds his breath as she wads it up into a bundle, but she doesn’t seem to notice the missing phone. “Wake me up when the elevator’s fixed,” she says, dropping her face down into the makeshift pillow.

“Should I be offended that you’d rather sleep than chat with your old friend?”

Veronica lifts her head an inch or two. “You’ve had no qualms offending me for the past, I don’t know, five years? Get used to it.”

“Ouch. That hurts.”

Veronica shakes her head, annoyed.

“Do you want to use my lap?” He regrets asking the moment the words come out of his mouth. Of course, she would take it the wrong way. She takes _everything_ the wrong way.

Veronica looks horrified. “Use your lap for _what_?”

“Not like that. God, not everything is an insult, Veronica. I just meant like a pillow or something. That can’t be comfortable.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll pass,” she says, but her expression softens. “Just… wake me up when it’s all over.”

“Yeah. Fine.”

Logan waits until her head is back down, then returns his attention to the burner phone, paging all the way back to the first text message.

**NATASHA: Testing**

**BORIS: testing back**

**NATASHA: The rules. Learn them. Memorize them.**

**NATASHA: 1. Keep this phone hidden**

**NATASHA: 2. Let nobody see you using it**

**NATASHA: 3. Do not share this number with anyone**

**NATASHA: 4. Familiarize yourself with the location of the SIM card**

**NATASHA: 5. At go time: 1-Wipe the phone’s memory 2-remove sim card 3-dispose of phone and sim card miles apart from each other.**

**BORIS: ur seksy when ur bossy**

That statement is factually accurate - if stupidly spelled - but coming from Duncan, it’s patently untrue.

Logan knows for a fact that the Donut prefers doormats. Docile, unopinionated women who believe he’s just perfect just the way he is. _It’s nauseating._

A week passes between texts.

**BORIS: met with cw - kendall on board n awaiting instructions**

**NATASHA: How much does she know?**

**BORIS: only that she needs 2 convince my clingy girlfriend im cheating**

**NATASHA: I’m going to ignore that clingy part. I still don’t trust her**

**BORIS: me either. i still think we shud bring logan n on the plan nstead**

**NATASHA: No! Don’t even think about it. It’s too risky.**

**BORIS: y? i know hes a jackass but hes loyal**

**NATASHA: I mean it. Leave Logan out of this. The fewer people involved the less chance of it going wrong**

**BORIS: but if we bring him in we dont need kendall** **at all and i could say goodbye**

**NATASHA: You’re willing to risk losing your daughter forever because you don’t want to hurt Logan’s feelings? Stop texting me. We can discuss in person.**

**BORIS: k**

_Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!_

That idiot is planning on kidnapping his own baby and running! And Veronica is helping him do it.

Duncan’s sudden affection makes sense now. The touching. The constant bro hugs. He’s trying to say goodbye, without actually _saying_ goodbye.

Like that scene from two nights ago.

Logan had arrived home late, to find Duncan on the couch watching SouthPark. Sloppily drunk, as it turned out a few minutes later, when he leaned his head on Logan’s shoulder with a slurred, “I love you, man.”

“Yeah… okay, dude. Where’s the old ball and chain tonight? She know you’ve been hitting the bottle?”

“Um…somewhere else? I forget.” Duncan screwed up his face. “No booty calls for me.”

“Dude. No.”

“What? I haven’t had sex with Veronica since before Thanksgiving. I dreamed I was once. But then she turned into Meg.” He laughed. “That happens all the time. Dream sex with Meg, I mean.”

“You’re a fucking idiot. Why would Veronica put up with that?”

"Not getting laid?” Duncan quirked an eyebrow. “She’s not like a nympho or anything.”

That was surprising. Considering her voracious appetite for aggressively making out, he’d assumed she’d be the same way about sex.

“I can’t help it,” Duncan whined. “You can _never_ tell anyone I said this - especially Veronica - but every time I try starting something with her my dick goes soft.”

“What the FUCK, Donut?”

“Who else can I talk to if I can’t talk to you?” Duncan drunkenly giggled. “If I’m being honest, I think it’s because she kinda scares me. She’s so tough and sarcastic, it’s like making out with another dude.”

“That didn’t seem to bother you when she was MY girlfriend. Didn’t keep you from showing up every day and hitting on her.”

“I just...missed her.”

“You see that balcony over there?” Logan pointed to the back of the room.

“Yeah? What about it?”

“Say another word, and I’m going to toss you over it.”

More drunken giggling. “Did I hit a nerve?”

“Dude, I spent the entire spring and summer being respectful and not pressuring her for sex. Or to put it another way…with chronic blue balls. My Pavlovian response to hearing Veronica’s name is to double over in pain. Okay?”

Logan kicked out at the leather ottoman - a tougher, more durable substitute for Duncan’s face. “To hear you say that you can’t even get it up for her?” He laughed, bitterly and shook his head. “I may not have deserved her, but you sure as fuck don’t either.”

It wasn’t a question, but it wasn’t like Duncan not to answer, either. He must have passed out drunk.

Logan extricated his shoulder, slid to the other end of the couch and was reaching for the TV remote when Duncan spoke again.

“I think I screwed up everything.”

“You don’t say.”

“If I hadn’t broken up with Meg on the last day of school, she wouldn’t have been on the bus that day. She’d still be alive, and we’d still be together with our baby. And we’d be happy.”

“And Veronica?”

“She’d be fine. I don’t think she even loves me, really.” Duncan shrugged, like it wasn’t most fucking heartbreaking thing in the world. As if losing her wouldn’t destroy him. “Now, Meg loved me. A lot. I miss Meg.”

“Dude, I’m gonna head back out.” Logan said, snatching up his jacket and springing up to his feet. “Before I do something stupid, like punching you in the throat.”

“Okay man. Have fun.” Duncan stared off into space, remembering Meg, presumably, and completely oblivious to his current girlfriend.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Looking back now, why wouldn’t he be? As far as Duncan was concerned, Veronica was already in his past.

Logan shoves the burner phone in his pocket.

In the opposite corner, Veronica’s head is still down, pillowed in her arms. She may be awake. May be asleep. Either way, the position seems unnatural.

_Her own fault._

Logan wads up his own jacket, stuffs it between his head and the wall. He might as well take a nap, too. Not like he has anything or anyone interesting to help him pass the time.

The ceiling lights flicker - once, twice, three times - the elevator jerks and whirs and begins to move.

Veronica’s head pops up. “Finally.” She stands, slides her sweater back on, and loops her handbag over her shoulder.

As Logan pushes up to his feet, he notices her patting her right pocket. She turns around, checking the elevator floor and, finding it empty, glances into her handbag.

Never once does she look at Logan.

Underestimating him again. As always.

The bell dings at the twelfth floor and Veronica squeezes out of the elevator before the doors are completely open.

Logan follows, slowing his walk to an amble, just make her wait.

He slides his key card through the magnetic reader, opens the penthouse door, and motions for her to proceed.

Veronica marches directly to Duncan’s bedroom, hovering in the doorway, stiff and anxious.

“Looking for somebody?” Coming up behind her, Logan peeks over her head. No Kendall.

“Obviously.” She rolls her eyes. “Wait. You didn’t think I was here to see _you_ , did you?”

Man, she’s shameless. Not even a flicker of guilt in her eyes as she turns it around on him. Insinuates that it’s him asking the dumb question, instead of her executing a stupid fucking plan.

_Sure, Veronica._

“Duncan texted. Said something about an errand.” Okay, technically, he texted Natasha, but Logan isn’t above passing on a message. He’s considerate that way.

Veronica exhales dejectedly and turns to leave.

Logan grabs her wrist. “Hold on. You and I need to have a little talk.”

“Can’t.” She shrugs, giving him the most unapologetic apology smile ever. “I have to get to work.”

“Sit down.” He gestures to the couch. “Your boss thinks you’re trapped in an elevator. A few more minutes can’t hurt anything.”

Veronica sighs. “We were just stuck in an elevator for thirty-seven minutes. You had all the time in the world to talk to me.”

“Yeah, well, I decided to wait until we were alone. Elevators have cameras.”

“Well, it couldn’t have been too important, then. Whatever you have to say to me will have to wait until I’m off work.”

“Sit. Your. Ass. Down.” Placing a hand on each of her shoulders, Logan guides her over to the couch. “…Natasha.”

Veronica gasps, runs her hand over her pockets.

“Looking for something?” He wiggles the burner phone.

If looks could incinerate, he would be ash right now.

“You sneaky… _jackass!”_

“Yeah, I know. I’m an infuriating, untrustworthy, not-owed-a-goodbye-from-my-best-friend jackass.” He folds his arms over his chest. “But you’re about to commit a felony, so maybe drop the stones, Glass House.”

Veronica sits.

Logan flops down on the other side of the couch, tosses the phone to her. “So…what was the plan? You find Kendall in Duncan’s bed? Accuse him of cheating and dump him publicly?”

“Something like that.”

"Then he steals his baby and goes on the run?"

She nods.

"Why drag me into it?"

"Figured you'd enjoy a front row seat to my humiliation."

"Except it's not real. Your boyfriend isn't really cheating on you, and you masterminded the whole plan."

"Maybe so, and maybe I did. Doesn’t mean there isn't a humiliation factor." Veronica pulls her sweater more tightly around her, as if she feels underdressed. “Doesn’t mean people won't wonder what's so unlovable and repellant about me, that my boyfriends would rather be with dead girls and married women."

Boyfriends? Plural? _Is she saying…?_

For her to sit here and insinuate that… It takes all Logan's self-control not to unleash on her. He won't give her the satisfaction, or the ego boost or whatever, but he knows. He'd fucking loved her more than life, and there wasn't a single woman - alive or dead - he would've chosen over her.

Fuck her.

She must see something in his eyes, because she goes on the offensive. "Oh come on. Surely, you haven't forgotten breaking my lamp and screaming about your dead girlfriend."

Logan’s entire body tenses, and he has to force himself to maintain eye contact.

"Explain to me how that worked. Was I just the side-action? Or do you automatically revert back to Lilly's possession at every breakup?"

She can't possibly believe the bullshit she's spewing, and it’s taking all of his self-control not to lay into her. But what’s the point of rehashing the past? It won’t change anything. "I'm still waiting for you to explain what you needed me for."

The fight seems to go out of her, and she drops her gaze. "We need it to look like Duncan planned the kidnapping all on his own."

"Nobody's going to believe that. He may get good grades, but he's not that smart. At least when it comes to plotting."

"You think I don't know that? Even if Duncan and the baby do get away, I'll spend the rest of my life under suspicion." She swallows heavily. "Goodbye FBI dreams."

As angry as Logan is right now, this breaks his heart.

Stupid. Fucking. Duncan.

She continues. "No matter how public our breakup is, when the feds come, they're going to suspect it was staged."

"And that's where I come in. You knew I already suspected him of fucking around with Kendall, so you set me up as a witness to you catching her in Duncan's bed."

Something shifts in her gaze. Had she believed he was lying or trying to cause trouble when he confronted Duncan about Kendall being in his room? She opens her mouth, as if she wants to protest his blunt assessment of the situation, then closes it again. Nods. "Pretty much."

Logan sighs. "Fine. I'll start making some calls."

"No!" Veronica practically shouts. "I don't want you involved."

"Well then, you shouldn't have fucking involved me."

"You were only supposed to tell people what you witnessed. I don't want you lying to the police."

"How would they know I was lying?"

"I don't know, maybe the timestamps on the security footage? They’ll know if she left while we were still stuck in the elevator." She gets up, shoulders her bag. "Anyway, I've answered your questions, and now I need to get to work. If you see Duncan, tell him we'll just have to wing it tomorrow, and pray for the best.”

“Winging a felony. Sounds smart.”

Veronica pauses next to the suite’s door. “You don't happen to have any of Kendall's underwear, do you? Maybe I could say I found them in his bed."

"Sorry. Can't help you. I don't keep souvenirs of my mistakes."

She sighs, and reaches for the door handle.

"Veronica?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever considered that Duncan might not be worth throwing your future away for?"

"Of course, I have. And no, he isn't.”

Wow. Logan hadn’t been expecting that.

“But I'm not doing it for him." She turns back around, leans her head against the wall, as if exhausted. "I missed all the signs with you, and I probably couldn't have done anything to help you, anyway. But I'll be damned if Meg's daughter gets brought up in an abusive household. I made her a promise, Logan."

And there she is. The girl he fell in love with. The girl who fights for the underdog.

She smiles at him then - a beautiful, breath-stealing, heart-breaking smile - opens the door, and leaves.

Logan remains in his seat, stunned.

All these months of trying to get over her, of trying to break her hold over him, and all it takes is one smile to rip it all away.

Nothing's changed at all. He'd still die for her.

He's sitting in the same position, when Duncan returns, an hour later.

"Oh, hey," Duncan shuffles through a stack of mail. "Anything interesting happen today?"

"Interesting, like Veronica finding Kendall in your bed?"

Duncan’s eyes widen in a decent imitation of concern, and he sets the envelopes on the counter. "Did she go ballistic?"

"No, man. Kendall was already gone when we got out of the elevator."

"Wait. Then how…?" He stares at Logan. "How much do you know?"

"About your plan to kidnap your baby and skip town?" Logan asks. "I know everything."

“Shit!” Duncan grabs two beers from the mini-fridge, hands one to Logan and takes a seat opposite him.

“Have you ever considered just fighting for custody of the baby?” Maybe it’s a dumb question, but it can’t be any stupider than this plan. “You’re the biological father, and you’re a billionaire. You can’t lose.”

“I wish it were that easy.” Duncan pops the cap on his beer, and takes a swig. “Celeste is convinced a baby will ruin my future. If I fight for this, she’s threatened to use my medical issues to have me declared a danger to myself and others. Dad supports me, but with him in jail serving out his _obstruction_ sentence, he can’t really stop her.”

It’s a valid concern.

“I say this with love Duncan, but...” Logan hesitates, searching for a diplomatic way to word it. “If your own parents believed you were capable of killing Lilly, do you really think you should be raising a baby?”

“You think I haven’t thought of that?” Duncan seems to crumple in upon himself. “Yes, there’s a small chance that I might have a fit and injure my daughter. Let’s say as high as ten percent.”

“Those aren’t great odds, man.”

“But there’s a one-hundred percent chance that the Mannings will abuse her,” he says, “The difference is, that I’ll have help. Dad’s people are working out the arrangements. I’ll have a safe home, a full-time staff, and a live-in nanny. She’ll be protected round the clock.”

Logan considers this, and nods slowly.

"So...are you going to…?" Duncan trails off.

"Relax, I'm not going to tell anybody your intentions," Logan says. "But I _am_ changing the plan."

"What do you mean, changing the plan? Veronica will rip you a new one if you mess this up."

"Dude, it's already failed! Kendall wasn't here, and I didn’t get to witness your cheating. Now, Veronica’s only choice is to improvise your big public breakup, with vague, unsupported accusations of infidelity. We can’t let her do that!”

"Why not?"

"Because she's putting her future at risk, dumbass." He sighs. "Listen, if we work quickly, we can still stick with the spirit of her plan. We can even make it better."

Duncan shakes his head with a sigh. "I knew you still had a thing for her."

“I don’t have a _thing_ for her. I love her.” Because...why the hell not at this point? “And since you’ve already admitted that you don’t, my feelings are irrelevant.”

Duncan tries to speak, but Logan cuts him off.

“She's risking her future to save your ass, Duncan. Show her some fucking loyalty and save hers in return."

"Fine. What's the new plan?"

"Get Kendall on the phone, and I'll tell you."

### Logan - Casablancas Estate

With the exception of Duncan, who’s out purchasing baby supplies, the whole gang's here tonight.

Even with the heated pool, it's a bit too chilly for swimming, but Logan holds court in one of the chaise lounges. Off to the side, Madison and some of the varsity cheerleaders sit in a circle, discussing plans for the Winter carnival. Luke and Casey are talking baseball, while Dick is yammering about some celebrity sex tape.

All conversation halts, as Kendall swishes by in her black bikini. She pauses by Logan's chair, looking him up and down. "Hey."

"Hey."

"So I was wondering. Does your roomie know you were swapping spit with his girlfriend, the other day?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't bother denying it, Logan. I saw you two getting hot and heavy. I wonder what Duncan will think about you stealing his girl."

Logan lifts an eyebrow. "That turnabout is fair play?"

Kendall smirks and struts away, five thousand dollars richer for a five second performance.

Everybody is staring at Logan now.

"Dude…no." Dick begins. "No. No. No. No. No."

"Veronica and I are not back together," Logan says. "We just…accidentally kiss now and then."

"Now and then?" Beaver asks, both eyebrows lifting.

"It's only happened a handful of times. At parties, mostly. It's no big deal. Our feelings bubble over, and we kiss for a few minutes. But it never goes any further, and we always come to our senses."

Dick is still shaking his head. "Didn't you learn anything?"

"I can't help it, man! Nobody knows what we've been through together."

"That girl has some kind of spell over you. And I do know what you've been through together. That's how I know you should stay far, far away from Mars."

"I _thought_ that was Veronica you were making out with at my birthday party!" Madison accuses. "In my dad's study."

"It was in your library," Logan mutters.

As if he would attend a Madison Sinclair party.

"Same thing."

"And you two were alone together in Casey's pool," Shelly says. "I came back outside to get my sweater and saw you had her backed up into the corner."

It was actually Enbom who got lucky in Casey's pool, but since it was with his best friend's girlfriend, he’s not about to jump in and correct the assumption.

"That night you were parked behind the Sac n' Pac!" Luke says. "Was that Veronica in your back seat?"

"Maybe?" Logan shrugs. It actually _was_ Veronica, but that was all the way back in July.

Madison jumps in again. "She was the girl painted in leopard spots at your Halloween party! Remember? You yelled at me to get out of your room!"

Ahh. Kelly from Pan High. A Veronica lookalike who was great with her mouth, but a wet fish in bed. After her, he'd stuck with Kendall. Athletic, enthusiastic, and most importantly, could never be mistaken for his ex.

The stories keep coming, and he has to pinch himself to keep from laughing. These gullible idiots honestly believe Veronica Mars would be caught dead at their parties? Let alone, cheat on her boyfriend?

 _This_ is why she should have brought him in on the plan from the beginning. He knows the 09ers, and he can manipulate them better than anyone.

By the time the feds come calling, every one of these idiots will have their own story about catching Logan and Veronica making out, going all the way back to the start of school. They'll be the worst kept secret in Neptune.

Duncan and Veronica's breakup? Inevitable, rather than some staged sideshow. And who could blame the guy for nabbing his baby and bailing after losing his best friend and his girlfriend in one fell swoop? What could he possibly have left to lose?

Of course, Veronica will probably murder him for outscheming her scheme. In a twisted sort of way, he’s looking forward to it.


	3. Chapter 3 - Veronica

### Veronica - Outside Sac-N-Pac

_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What are we doing?_

Alone in the X-Terra, Veronica watches a squirrel munching on a discarded apple core and permits herself a mini-meltdown.

She doesn’t have long. Even now, she can see Logan inside the Sac-N-Pac, third in line at the cash register, a green plastic basket looped over his forearm. But a measly two minutes of privacy, where she can freak out without consequence, is better than nothing.

All day at school, she’d been forced to keep her head up amongst the whispers and gossip. Logan’s edict had held - nobody dared say anything disparaging - but the staring was bad enough.

And then, when the final bell rang, it was out of the frying pan and right into the fire.

 _Or would that be ‘into the fiyah’?_ It is Logan, after all.

As agreed upon, she’d found him waiting next to her (now spotless) locker.

He’d been surprisingly subdued as she collected her books, quietly taking her hand as they walked out to his truck.

Why had she opened her stupid mouth? Logan and Duncan had it handled. They’d both been shockingly competent in their performances. So competent, in fact, that she’d forgotten they were performing at all.

God, she’d been _brutal_ with Duncan. Four months’ worth of tiny grievances bubbling up to the surface and spilling out of her big mouth.

But that was nothing compared to that _other_ thing she’d said.

_This wasn’t about payback. It’s about love. We’re in love with each other._

A sudden burst of nausea churns in Veronica’s belly, and she breathes slowly until it subsides.

Outside the vehicle, an empty cigarette pack skitters across the near-empty parking in the gentle breeze, momentarily startling the squirrel.

The boys had given her a simple solution to a complicated problem. An unintentional mistake - an unforgivable one to Ducan, of course - but one with no long-term consequences. And in the heat of the moment, with a single statement, she’d raised both the stakes and the complexity. Not to mention the awkwardness factor.

No wonder Logan hasn’t made eye-contact since they left school.

The driver's door yanks open, and she quickly wipes away her tears.

Logan leans in, “Hey, can you hold this while I drive?”

“Sure.” Veronica takes the large paper bag from his outstretched hand, placing it on her lap.

“Your beverage.” He passes her a twenty-ounce bottle of Coke, shoves a Mountain Dew into his cup holder, and slides behind the wheel, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Thanks." Veronica sets her drink in the second cup-holder. "You got the condoms?"

“Yep. And before you ask, I did remember to charge it to my credit card." Logan pulls a receipt from his pocket, holding it out for her inspection.

"Good." She sniffles, swipes away more tears with her jacket cuff. "Well...I guess you should head to the Neptune Grand."

"Yes, ma'am." Logan turns the key and shifts the truck into reverse. He swivels his head to look through the back window, pausing when he catches sight of her red-rimmed eyes.

"Hey…” Guilt transforms his features and his voice softens. “...you know Duncan was in on that plan all along, right? He doesn’t actually believe you cheated on him.”

She nods. "Yeah, I figured out what-was-what pretty quick.”

He finishes backing out of the parking spot, and shifts into Drive. “Don’t be too mad at him. He may have gone along with it, but the plan was all on me.”

_Obviously._

“I'm not upset about Duncan."

Logan pulls out onto Oceanside, rubs a hand over the back of his neck. "I’m _truly_ sorry, you know. About that whole _‘ambush breakup’_. I wish--"

"It's okay, Logan." She cuts him off. "It all worked out, right?"

"Yeah." He shoots her a sidelong glance.

"What?"

"Nothing." He changes lanes, glances her way again. "I guess I just expected more yelling. Whether it worked or not, in what world do _you_ let me get away with disrupting your plans?"

"Disrupting? You took a sledgehammer to them." She rolls her eyes, but laughs, softly. "Why _did_ you do it?"

“I don’t know. You said you’d have to wing it, and it just seemed terribly unfair. You know, for you to give up your dreams for somebody who--”

“Wouldn’t do the same for me?” Veronica finishes his sentence.

He answers with a guilty shrug. “Not to mention, nobody would believe Saint Duncan cheated on you.” He leaves the _‘even if he was’_ part unspoken. “But you and I…they’ll believe anything. Even more, they’ll invent things.”

Logan sips his Mountain Dew, speaks the next part, quietly. “And then, there was that thing you said last night. About being humiliated and everyone thinking you were unlovable.”

Of course, Logan caught that, he misses nothing.

After these past months, she would’ve expected him to use that weakness - _her stupid pride_ \- against her. To torment her, or to get a rise, or whatever other justification Logan uses whenever he ‘knocks her down a few pegs’.

Instead, he’d turned it around. Made _her_ the object of desire?

_Why?_

As much as she’d hated the whispers and stares today, having two boys fighting over her had to be a thousand times better than being the object of pity.

Her mouth is suddenly too dry. She uncaps her soda and takes a long drink, but it doesn’t seem to help.

Logan swallows, and flicks a glance at her. "So, again, I'm very sorry."

_Just put the boy out of his misery, Veronica._

She exhales. "Would you believe me if I told you this was my original plan?"

Her ideal plan.

From the moment Logan moved into that penthouse, she'd known his presence there portended the end of her and Duncan. So, of course, when evaluating motives for a staged breakup, he'd been at the forefront of her mind.

She'd imagined how it might play out. How easily everyone would accept them as a secretly-reunited couple. The heaps of available evidence supporting their strong connection - media footage from last summer, her not-so-stellar behavior toward Jackie Cook at the Homecoming dance, along with all the usual gossip and innuendo.

It had been the only truly logical plan, and she hadn't _dared_ to implement it.

When he'd grabbed her earlier, between his subtext and his meaningful glances, she'd caught on almost immediately. It was as if he'd plucked the idea right from her subconscious.

Every cell phone video of that nasty breakup scene, every accusation that they'd been sneaking around for months, only strengthened and stabilized the story.

And after a terrifying night spent tossing and turning, she should be relieved, right? She can breathe again.

So why is her chest a heavy mass of pain, her throat, so tight she can't swallow? Why do her eyes keep flooding with tears?

Logan stops at a red light and turns to look at her. "So, what made you change your mind?"

Veronica shakes her head. _Let it go, Logan. Please!_

"Help me understand. Am I that much of a jackass that you would rather risk prison time than ask for my help?"

"It's not that." She sighs. "Okay, it was partially that, along with not wanting to risk you telling me to go fuck myself. But mostly, I just didn't want to drag you into this mess."

Logan’s shoulders droop. “Why? You can’t say I didn’t do a good job. Those were some Veronica Mars-level machinations, and with only a few hours' notice."

"You're right. You did amazing."

Already preparing his next argument, this catches Logan off-guard, and his eyes widen, as if it’s the first kind words she’s ever spoken to him.

Swallowing, he continues. "But…? You think I'm going to screw it up? Or crack at the first sign of an FBI agent?"

“Not that, either.”

He would die before he cracked. If there's anything to know about Logan it's that he's loyal.

It must be costing him something terrible, for the world to think he stole his best friend's girl.

_Dammit, Logan!_

She wants to reach out, to lay a comforting hand on his arm, but settles for twisting her bottle cap back and forth.

"You've committed a felony, Logan. This is aiding and abetting to kidnapping."

"So? Only you and Duncan are allowed to commit felonies?” His growing frustration is evident in his voice. “You expected _me_ , of all people, to sit back and allow another kid to be abused?"

"The difference is that the world isn't out get me and Duncan," she says, "You're already being framed for murder. What's to stop them from trying to pin this on you too?"

"Wait.” He drops his head back on the headrest, seemingly placated. “So this is like the River Stix and the gun? You left me out of the loop because you wanted to protect me?"

"Of course, I wanted to protect you, you idiot! Do you think I want to see you go to jail?"

"I didn't know," Logan says, softly, easing the gas as the light turns green. "And that's why you didn't want Duncan saying goodbye to me?"

“Yeah.” Veronica wipes away tears. _When had she started crying?_ "I wanted you to have plausible deniability."

He sighs. "I'm sorry, Veronica. For getting involved."

"Don't be sorry. If anybody should be apologizing, it should be me."

"You? For what?"

"You haven't put two and two together yet, have you?"

"Put what together?"

"Remember that stupid comment I made about us being in love?” She focuses on a gas station sign further down the road, but her cheeks burn with embarrassment. “I was only improvising in the moment, but I've essentially just doomed us to fake-dating for the foreseeable future."

Logan turns to face her, eyes intense. "Like in some wacky romantic comedy?"

“Yeah, except the stakes are a lot higher than making our exes jealous.” She laughs, but it sounds a bit like crying. “Instead of you discovering your true feelings just in time, and racing to the airport to stop me from getting on the plane, the twist ending could look a lot more like a prison sentence.”

“Is it a coed prison? Because that could set up a great sequel.”

Veronica groans and gets back on-topic. "I had this whole plan for the next week." She counts on her fingers. "One, breakup songs. Full volume. On repeat. Two, binge eating ice cream and cereal. Three, cutting Duncan out of all our couple photos. Four, not showering."

"Seems…comprehensive. And a bit stinky." Logan flashes her an apologetic smile. "And now?"

"You're gonna make me say it?"

"Just spit it out."

"Well, if anybody believed our show this morning, we've been pining over each other for months, now. Badly enough for you, Mr. Loyalty-is-everything, to betray your best friend and me to betray my boyfriend."

"Yeah?"

"So, that means, we’re back in the honeymoon stage, Logan.”

“...aaaand?”

“We're fucking like bunnies." She laughs at the ridiculousness of it all.

He lifts an eyebrow. "Man, I don't remember the bunny stuff from last time around."

Veronica rolls her eyes. "We'll need to--"

Logan's cell phone rings. He glances at the screen, holds up one finger, and answers. "Hey."

He listens for a moment. "Tonight? No, we're going to have to reschedule. I'm sorry, I know it's important, but something's come up. No, I'm not sure if tomorrow will work, either."

 _Wonderful._ She hadn't even considered that Logan might be dating somebody new. They don’t need any complications.

To distract herself, she unfolds the top of the paper bag and peeks inside.

Four additional bottles of Coke

A tube of Logan’s favorite toothpaste

Two battery-operated toothbrushes in orange and green

Vanilla scented votive candles

A phone charger for a T-Mobile Sidekick

A second charger for Logan’s phone

Condoms: _Living Large_. _XXL for Big Guys_

She swallows hard. Breathes out through her nose.

Who even knew condoms came in XXL?

Logan laughs derisively at his caller. "Be my guest. Hang out at the suite all night long if you want. You and Duncan can commiserate over what a prick I am."

 _Right_. Like that's ever worked. Duncan sucks at commiseration.

Not that he’ll actually be there in the suite. He’s already taken the baby. He’s already hiding out, waiting for the next phase.

"No, it's a lot more complicated than that. I'm getting my own suite." A chuckle. "You must be low on the gossip chain. I'd figured it would be all over school by now.”

Logan listens to the caller for a second.

“No, I can't live with Duncan anymore, because I stole his girl. That's right, me and Veronica are…" He pauses, lips twisting into a half-dozen configurations, and she's not sure if that's because he can't say the words without laughing, or he just can't bring himself to say them _at all_. He swallows. "…back together."

Noise erupts from the other end of the phone, and when Logan pulls it away from his ear, the voice is clearly male. "Can you just…Hey! SHUT UP for a second!" Finally, he passes the phone to Veronica. " _You_ deal with him."

She holds the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Vee. Has that skinny white boy--"

"And a good afternoon to you too, Weevil." She looks at Logan, eyes wide in question, but he only shrugs. "Did I miss the part where you two stopped trying to murder each other and became phone buddies?"

Weevil sighs. "We're working together to figure out who killed Felix."

"Like…undercover?"

"Clearly. I'm smart enough to know not to be seen with that idiot in public. And you should know better, too. What are you _doing_ getting back together with Echolls?"

"Haven't you heard? We're in _loooove_." She draws out the last word, like an obnoxious ten year-old. _Veronica and Logan sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G_. "He's taking me to Mama Leone's later, where we'll share a plate of spaghetti by candlelight. Hey, you know a good place where we can get matching couple's tattoos?"

She can hear Weevil's exhale through the phone. "You know, I can't say I've ever met a pair of smartasses like you two. You belong together.”

After reassuring Weevil that yes, Logan would be available for plotting and scheming later in the week, she disconnects the call.

“You were wrong, earlier, by the way.” Logan speaks without taking his eyes off the road. “About the rom-com.”

“How was I wrong?”

“ _You_ would be the one racing the clock to get _Me_ off the plane.”

Veronica rolls her eyes. “I would not!”

“Would too!”

“You’re crazy!”

He smirks. “Have you ever actually watched a Rom-Com?”

“Of course.”

“Well then you should know. The character who’s in touch with their emotions…” He touches his own chest. “...accepts the job across the country, after finally acknowledging that their feelings are unrequited. And the character who’s been in denial for the entirety of the film…” A dip of his head in her direction. “...is the one haranguing the taxi driver to go faster.”

“Hey! I’m in touch with my feelings.”

He rolls his eyes and drawls, “The things girls will say to get past a felony conviction.”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

"Cameras in the lobby, the elevator and each corridor," Veronica whispers, as they enter the Neptune Grand. "Time to be in love."

Logan wraps an arm around her waist, kisses her temple, and guides her over to the tall front desk, where a blonde woman smiles in greeting. "Tina, this is my girlfriend, Veronica."

"Nice to meet you, Veronica. I think we've seen each other around." Her voice is friendly, her expression warm and welcoming. So unlike the cold bitch Duncan made her out to be.

Veronica gives her a cautious wave. “You too.”

"Your new suite. Room eleven-twenty.” Tina hands Logan a pair of plastic keycards “You said a one-bedroom would be okay?”

“Better than okay.” He kisses the tip of Veronica’s nose. “Wouldn’t want anyone interrupting the honeymoon. I believe bunnies were mentioned.”

“He’s joking,” Veronica says, at the woman’s look of apprehension.

“I should’ve guessed.” Tina smiles again. “ We went ahead and moved your belongings, as requested, so you won't have any..." Her brows lift as her lips turn down. " _...awkward_ run-ins with your ex-roommate. Just be careful which elevators you get in."

"I'll skip any elevators coming down from the twelfth floor."

Tina looks around the lobby and lowers her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "The sheriff was here earlier. Looking for Duncan Kane."

Logan rolls his eyes. "Lemme guess? Destruction of property? Old Donut threw a helluva tantrum the last time me and Veronica got together."

She shrugs. "The sheriff didn't say. Just demanded I unlock the room, so he could see for himself that Duncan wasn't there."

"You didn't tell him about me moving out of the suite, did you?"

"He didn't ask." She winks. "I just told him I'd seen Duncan heading out this morning with a suitcase. He asked to see the security footage, and then rushed out of here."

Veronica pokes Logan in the side. _Ask her about..._

He picks up on her signal. "Wait, Duncan left here with luggage? When was this?"

"Um...about an hour after you called and we moved your stuff. He seemed in a big hurry."

"Weirdo." Logan smirks, and returns his cardkey for Duncan's room. He shoves the new cards in his pocket. "Can you just charge the suite to my credit card on file?"

"Already done."

"Thanks, Tina. You're the best!" He takes Veronica's hand, leading her away from the front desk.

"You two have fun." Tina calls after them. “And no bunnies.”

"Fun. Fun. Fun," he says under his breath, lifting two fingers in the universal sign for bunny ears.

At the elevator bank, Logan reaches around Veronica and presses the call-button. He tugs her back against his body, clasps his hands around her midsection and drops his chin down to rest on her shoulder.

_Perfect image of a boy in love._

She tries not to tense up. It's not that he feels _terrible_ against her back, all warm and solid and male.

It's just...that he _doesn't_ feel terrible. He feels familiar, reassuring, intimate.

Duncan wasn't really into the PDA thing. He wasn't into much touching at all.

To Logan, PDAs are like breathing. If he likes you, his hands are on you. But his fake PDAs feel way too much like the real thing, and her traitorous body can't tell the difference.

_It’s all for show, Veronica. Don't get caught up, like earlier. And,_ _whatever you do, do NOT get used to having his attention._

He tilts his head, whispers. “So, what’s next, boss?”

The brush of his lips against her ear makes everything go tingly inside, and she twists around in his arms just to make it stop.

“You and I…” She slides her hands up around his neck and gazes adoringly into his eyes. “...are about to stage a love scene.”

Behind them, the elevator dings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here, the updates will slow down. The next scene has been a battle from the beginning. It may take me a while to kick its ass.


End file.
